ONE WEEK LATER!
The midday sun casted sharp shadows across Madripoor's High-Tech training area that had recently been built. It was a massive underground facility, carved deep beneath the High Table Headquarters.
It was made using some of the remaining vibranium alloy to create a strong surface when combined with energy shields to contain the raw power of the combatants inside the facility.
In the center of the arena stood Maxim, shirtless, his body rippling with barely restrained energy. His muscles were hardened and honed to perfection, without even a single scar, and he unleashed an aura of unrelenting strength and inevitablility.
Every breath he took seemed to shake the air, and his eyes glowed with a deep unstoppable power.
"Doomsday, feels nice." Maxim muttered to himself, thinking about the character he had chosen. After some deliberation, he decided to go with Doomsday, mostly for the adaptive physiology.
Whatever hurts him will literally make him stronger now!
Maxim cracked his knuckles and looked around, spotting a group of challengers surrounding him in a loose circle. Some of them were members of the X-Men, and alongside them were Wanda and Pietro, both were eager to prove themselves.
Logan's claws were already extended as he circled Maxim like a predator,"This ain't personal, kid, but I'm not holdin' back."
Storm hovered above the ground, her eyes glowing white as clouds began to swirl in the simulated sky above, "Nor will I. This is for your benefit as much as ours."
Wanda Maximoff stood near the rear, her fingers weaving scarlet tendrils of Chaos Magic. Pietro cracked his knuckles, his trademark cocky smirk masking the unease he felt facing Maxim.
Cyclops adjusted his visor, the red glow of his optic blast intensifying. "We're doing this together. Do not underestimate him. He's more than we've ever faced."
"Begin!" A.N.G.E.L.'s calm voice announced from above to signal the start of the fight.
~BOOM~
Pietro instantly moved first, a sonic boom echoing in the background as he became a blur of silver streaking toward Maxim. He aimed a rapid series of punches and kicks at Maxim's torso and legs, his superhuman speed turning each strike into a battering ram.
WHAM~WHAM~WHAM!
"Damn, my body is insane now. I barely feel anything." Maxim thought to himself as he felt Pietro's first crashing into his body. With Doomsday's powers, his physique had already grown far beyond its previous level.
"Is that all?" Maxim's deep voice rumbled, amusement flickering in his glowing eyes as he looked at Pietro.
Pietro darted back, confusion flickering on his face, "What the hell? That should've, "
He didn't finish his sentence. Maxim moved, faster than Pietro could comprehend, and backhanded him across the arena. Pietro smashed into the energy-reinforced wall, groaning as he slid to the floor.
"Next," Maxim said, his voice calm but laced with challenge as he stared at the various challengers surrounding him.
Storm and Cyclops attacked simultaneously. A bolt of lightning shot down from above, crackling with destructive energy, while Cyclops unleashed a concentrated optic blast aimed directly at Maxim's chest.
~BOOM~!
The lightning struck venomously!
~ZRRRACK~!
The optic blast followed, creating an explosion of light and sound. Dust and smoke filled the air, blocking everyone's vision of Maxim and what happened after the attacks hit him.
"He's down!" Cyclops called, but his optimism was short-lived as the smoke slowly cleared, and a silhouette emerged, unharmed.
Maxim's body seemed to radiate an otherworldly glow and he flexed his muscles, looking towards Cyclops and the others, "You'll have to do better than that guys." he said cockily.
~WHOOSH~
Maxim lunged at Cyclops, closing the distance in an instant without even breaking a sweat. Cyclops barely managed to dive out of the way, or so he thought.....
Maxim had anticipated his dodge long before Cyclops had even carried out the action. A swift kick sent Cyclops skidding across the grown, his visor sparking as he landed hard.
Suddenly, a crackle of scarlet energy echoed as a flood of crimson red tendrils bound Maxim, constricting him tighter and tighter as it tried to restrain him.
"I can hold him!" she shouted, "Hit him now!"
Maxim looked at the binds, feeling like he can snap them as easily as he snaps a twig and he let out a chuckle, looking at Logan who roared and charged towards him with his claws ready to slash.
As Logan leapt towards him, Maxim's body shimmered, and the bindings snapped like glass. Logan's claws struck hard, raking across Maxim's torso, only for the adamantium blades to skid harmlessly across his reinforced skin.
Maxim grinned,"Nice try."
Before Logan could react, Maxim grabbed him by the arm and flipped Logan over his shoulder, sending him crashing into the ground before wrapping his hands around Logan's torso, immediately hitting him with a German Suplex that shook the ground.
Wanda's eyes widened. She unleashed a wave of pure chaos energy that struck Maxim dead-on, the power of her attack bending the air around them.
The Magic crashed into Maxim, and he stumbled for a second before laughing, looking towards Wanda and unleashing a Psionic Blast that assaulted Wanda ferociously, sending her tumbling back as she clutched her head painfully and groaned in pain.
Pietro immediately rushed to her side, trying to help her whilst the X-Men regrouped, forming a defensively line shoulder-to-shoulder with grim expressions on their faces as they looked at the unharmed Maxim.
"We hit him together," Cyclops said, "Everything we've got."
Storm summoned a hurricane, winds howling as lightning danced across the arena. Cyclops unleashed his most powerful blast, the beam carving a molten path across the floor. Logan charged again, claws ready.
Maxim stood in the center of the chaos, his body absorbing every attack. The lightning just crackled off his skin, while the optic blasts slowly lost their effectiveness over time, and Logan's claws couldn't penetrate his skin at this time.
Once he allowed them to get their hits in, Maxim moved like a hurricane. His fist first connection with Cyclops, sending him flying, and then he caught Logan mid air and hurled him towards Storm, who he simultaneously assaulted with a Psionic Attack, leaving her defenseless.
The pack of mutants immediately collapsed in a heap
He moved like a hurricane, a blur of power and precision. His fist connected with Cyclops, sending him flying. He caught Logan mid-leap and hurled him into Storm, the two mutants collapsing in a heap.
"Enough!" Maxim's voice boomed, shaking the arena. He slammed his foot into the ground, creating a seismic shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet.
Dust and debris filled the air as the X-Men and Maximoff twins struggled to rise. When the dust settled, Maxim stood alone, his chest heaving but otherwise unscathed. Around him, the others lay defeated.
A.N.G.E.L.'s voice broke the silence. "Training session concluded. Combatants incapacitated: 100%. Maxim Novikov victorious."
Maxim exhaled, the glow in his eyes fading as he looked towards the others," Damn that was fun."
Logan groaned, pulling himself to his feet, "Kid... you're a damn monster."
Maxim offered a faint smile, "Maybe. But I'm your monster."
With that, he turned and left the arena, the echoes of his footsteps fading into the distance. Behind him, the others regrouped.
"Damn, he's grown even stronger. What does this guy do when he goes out?" Wanda whispered her question.
"But he's on our side," Storm replied, her voice steady despite the exhaustion. "And that makes all the difference."
****
When I began writing the chapter, Doomsday was the most popular option, so enjoy everyone. This will be fun. Probably lots of fighting this arc for him to flex his muscles.